
Acting
Born April 10, 1930 · Thái Nguyên province, Vietnam
Trần Phương (10 April 1930 – 26 August 2020) was a Vietnamese actor, director and screenwriter. Following a serious work accident that cost him his finger, he ceased working as an industrial turner and was later dispatched to work in logistics for an artists' company where he gained his first acting experience in chèo and was coached in theatre by the veteran playwright Thế Lữ. Introduced to films by director Phạm Văn Khoa, his colleague at the company, Trần Phương began to pursue a career in cinema and in 1955, joined the newly-inaugurated Vietnam Feature Film Studio. He starred in the Studio's first film, "Chung một dòng sông" (1959) but went uncredited. In 1961, he was chosen as the lead A Phủ in Mai Lộc's "Vợ chồng A Phủ" and thanks to this role, rose to stardom in the North Vietnamese film scene. He was the male lead in many classics of the 60s-70s Revolutionary cinema, notably "Chị Tư Hậu", "Tiền tuyến gọi", and "Ngày lễ Thánh"; by 1980, he had garnered almost 20 acting credits. In the late 1970s, he tried his hands at directing by assisting Trần Vũ, who he previously worked for in "Truyện vợ chồng anh Lực"(1973) and was married to his longtime onscreen collaborator Đức Hoàn. In 1979, he made his first directing debut with "Mưa rơi trên thành phố". His major breakthrough came in 1980 with the crime drama "Tội lỗi cuối cùng" and in 1981, " Hy vọng cuối cùng", a work that deals with moral corruption and deterioration of trust in Vietnam's "subsidy period" - themes that are most present in his films throughout the 80s. "Hy vọng cuối cùng" earned Trần Phương Best Director at 1983 Vietnam Film Festival, and is still one of his most critically acclaimed works. With the introduction of the commercial "instant noodles" films in early 1990s, Trần Phương moved his productions to the South, and gravitated towards making crime and actions, distinguished by melodramatic themes, fast pace, along with a greater focus to costumes and set design. The director enjoyed great commercial success and despite some criticisms against his initial mainly Northern production team, his films were almost always box office hits universally enjoyed by the Southern public, and cemented the careers of some of its most famous commercial stars like Diễm My and Thương Tín. Despite a successful career, Trần Phương's personal life in his last years was marred by the death of his son and a series of debilitating health issues. He passed away in Hanoi on 26th August 2020, at the age of 90.

When In Love
2004

The Refugee's Melody
1998
Crescent Moon
1996
When Life Gives You a Goalkeeper ...
1995
Dame of the Camellias
1994

It Seems Our Love Has Faded
1992

In Search of a Bygone Time
1992

Remainder of the Laughing Forest
1991

Singing in the Rainy Afternoon
1990
At The River, White Flowers Flourish
1989

To Catch a Thief 1: I Am Not Born For Imprisonment
1988

To Catch A Thief 2: The Woman In Nun's Habit
1988

To Catch A Thief 3: Solitary
1988

Quiet Night
1984

Standing In Front Of The Sea
1982

Cold Forest
1982

The Last Hope
1981

The Last Transgression
1980

Unintended Separation
1986

Quiet Night
1984

Life Is Not Simple
1980

The Forgotten Proposal
1980

A Stormy Journey
1977

Story of the Coconut Village
1977

The Holy Day
1976

Thạch Sanh
1976

The Story of Mr. Lực and His Wife
1971

The Painting
1970

Miss Nhung
1970

The Front Is Calling
1969

The Sea Calls
1967

Fire in the Woods
1966

The Sun Rises on the High Plains
1966

At the 17th Parallel
1965

The Young Soldier
1964

Mrs. Tư Hậu
1963

A Phu and His Wife
1961

On the Same River
1959